Measuring Impact and Social Value

It is well recognised that community learning can bring both direct and wider social benefits for learners, their families and communities. However, the reformed system for publicly funded community learning means that many providers will need to strengthen the mechanisms they have in place for demonstrating the impact of their work. Under the new Funding Rules, providers are required to show how their work contributes to the social and economic well-being of individuals, families and communities. The outcomes that are set by each local community learning network must be both measurable and capable of being evaluated by communities and other stakeholders. At the stages of planning, delivering and evaluating learning, providers need to pay attention to the outcomes their provision achieves and the social value it creates. 

There are also sound operational reasons for focusing on the wider social outcomes of learning and the social value that it generates. It can help with internal planning and quality improvement. It can also put providers in a stronger position to develop new local partnerships and access funding opportunities, by providing evidence to demonstrate the range of ways in which learning contributes to wider policy agendas such as health, families, employability and crime prevention.

The resources in this section include:

• generic guides providing an introduction and overview of social impact measurement;
• tools and guides to support direct work with learners to collect evidence of wider outcomes and "distance travelled";
• links to sources of support in the application of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology.